Three Small Words
by spiffykay
Summary: One random, sunny California summer day and Summer realizes that those three small words aren't really that hard to say. SS


**Disclaimer: I do not own "The OC."**

**A/N: I'm currently in the middle of the Indian Ocean on a ship and I'm still putting this up. I think leaving a review would be a nice way to thank me. :)**

**By the way, this one-shot takes place during the summer after Season Two. Everything in the show up till that point stands.**

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"Summer…?" Dr. Roberts knocked on his daughter's bedroom door.

Summer sat up in bed, answering, "Yeah, dad?"

Dr. Roberts pushed the door open, revealing his daughter's bed and his daughter occupying it, holding a book on her lap.

"Hey," Summer greeted. "What's up?"

Dr. Roberts smiled, moving towards the bed and sitting down on the edge. "What are you reading?"

"Oh," Summer replied, "it's just a book I have for summer reading. Thought maybe I should try reading it a couple weeks before school starts rather than a couple days."

"On a Saturday morning?" Dr. Roberts questioned, surprised.

Summer shrugged her shoulders. "I guess."

"Huh," Dr. Roberts stated in reply, glancing away from his daughter and taking in the objects that sat around her room. Her room had changed a lot over the last year and half. Her walls used to be almost bare, only a few pictures of her and Marissa or her and some other friends Dr. Roberts didn't know scattered throughout the expanse of the room. However now, there were still a few pictures of her and Marissa, but many more pictures involving her and Seth. And there were drawings all clustered together at one end of her room, many of them portraits that looked like his daughter. Even some different magazine clippings were hung up randomly on the walls with highlighted or circled parts with scribbled, bold writing saying something like, "See?!" or "Knew you'd enjoy this."

Dr. Roberts got up off of the bed to examine one of the magazine clippings. This one was next to Summer's dresser, hanging up right next to a picture of her and Seth down at the beach, Seth's arms over Summer's shoulders – holding her close – while Summer's hands reached up to grasp onto his arms. The magazine clipping, however, was one entitled "Tahiti – Worth the Journey." There were random bits highlighted but the part that caught Dr. Roberts' eye was the scribbled writing at the end of the article: "Can't wait to take you here."

Dr. Roberts reached his hand up, pointing to the article and looking back over to his daughter. "What's this?"

"Oh," Summer tried to slouch it off; pretending it didn't mean as much to her as it really did. "Seth gave it to me."

"He's taking you to Tahiti?" Dr. Roberts' eyes bulged.

"Well, not anytime soon," Summer straightened herself up on her bed. "But he wants to go there someday. Maybe after college."

Dr. Roberts looked around the room once more, noting all of the other articles plastered up on the walls. "Are all these magazine tear-outs from Seth?" Summer simply nodded her head. "Are they all about Tahiti?"

"No," Summer answered. "Like that one," she pointed to the opposite wall, "that's about _The Valley _star Grady Bridges. Seth thought it was hilarious that Grady broke his foot playing basketball last month. He decided to write all over the article, giving me his commentary. I just thought it was funny." Summer laughed.

Dr. Roberts saw the smile etch across his daughter's face. She beamed at the thought of Seth.

Dr. Roberts couldn't remember the last time she smiled that wide because of anything that didn't involve Seth.

"You love him, don't you?"

At this question, Summer's smile faded. "Oh, I don't know…"

"Summer," Dr. Roberts started, making his way back to the bed, "look at this place. It's filled with reminders of Seth. Articles, pictures, drawings – even that shirt over there," he pointed, "I'm assuming _you_ don't owe anything that says 'Death Cab' on it."

"Yeah, that's Seth's," Summer told him. "We decided to go in his pool last week and I didn't have my bathing suit so I just jumped in with my clothes. He let me borrow one of his shirts… I keep forgetting to give it back."

Dr. Roberts nodded, smiling. "You love him, Summer."

Summer's face flushed. "I don't think so," Summer looked away, back down to her book. "We just got back together. I'm not even seventeen."

"You two got back together months ago and your birthday is next week," Dr. Roberts informed her. "And it's okay, Summer. I know I wasn't fond of him when you started dating him last year, but… well… he just wasn't what I expected."

"He wasn't what I expected either," she replied.

"I know. But first impressions can sometimes be wrong. And mine about Seth were definitely wrong." Dr. Roberts waited for Summer to reply and when she didn't, he continued on. "I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. I'm just trying to become more involved in your life now. Something I could never even fathom to do before you started dating Seth." Dr. Roberts looked around the room again, breaking eye contact with his daughter. "You've changed so much because of him. And not in a negative way but in a more positive way than I ever thought would be possible after your mother left. Your personality and your charisma make me want to be a better person – a better father."

"Dad…" Summer tried but her father stopped her.

"No, I know I'm not around a lot. I know I haven't been the best father – especially since your mother left. But I really want to try and be better. I want to know what's going on with you – more than just a weekly dinner." Dr. Roberts glanced around the room again. "And seeing you up here – seeing what you've hung up on your walls – this helps. Your room is a representation of who you are now, Summer. And I'm so proud of you."

Summer's eyes welled up, looking back at her father. "Thank you, dad."

Dr. Roberts nodded, walking over to give his daughter a hug. Summer cried lightly into his shoulder but pulled back, wiping away her tears. "Is that what you came up here for? To tell me all that?"

Dr. Roberts laughed. "No. Actually I came up to see if you wanted some breakfast."

Summer laughed back. "Thanks, but I'm heading over to Seth's soon to have breakfast before we go to the museum."

"Museum?" Dr. Roberts questioned. "You and Seth are going to a museum?"

"Yeah," Summer told him. "Seth's been taking this art class down at the Newport Gallery – just for more experience cause he wants to major in art and drawing in college – and one of his assignments is to go to the Newport Beach Museum of Art and write about some painting."

"And you're going with him?"

"Yeah," Summer shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought it'd be interesting."

Dr. Roberts pat the space on the bed separating himself and his daughter. "Right."

Summer scrunched up her face, smiling. "What?"

Dr. Roberts stood up, staring down at his daughter. "And you're telling me you don't love him? That you're too young? I'll let you in on a little secret, Summer. There's no law that you have to follow that says you can't fall in love until you reach a certain age." Summer avoided eye contact, but he continued, "don't be afraid to let yourself fall in love just because of me and your mother."

Summer glanced back up to her father, getting a little defensive. "I'm not afraid. And it's not because of you and mom. I just… I don't feel that way about Seth. Not now. Not after last summer."

"Last summer was just that – last summer. If you're going to continue dating him, you're going to have to forgive him eventually."

"I have," Summer crossed her arms over her chest. "I mean, I do."

"Then why are you still bringing it up?" he asked. When Summer didn't reply, he began walking towards the door, but stopped abruptly. "You should tell him, Summer. And maybe you could invite him over for dinner tomorrow. Okay? I'd really like to get to know a bit more." Dr. Roberts looked to his daughter who was still averting his gaze. "Okay, Summer?"

"Okay," she replied, finally making eye contact. "I'll ask him about dinner."

Dr. Roberts smiled. "Have fun."

And with that, he left, leaving Summer to her own thoughts.

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"Hey," Summer pushed open the door, coming face-to-face with Seth's closet door. "Seth?"

"In the closet," Seth replied.

"I kind of figured," Summer muttered to herself as she closed the bedroom door.

As soon as the comment left her mouth, the closet door swung shut and Seth appeared, smiling down at Summer. "Hey."

"Hi."

Seth leaned down, kissing her lips quickly. "How was your night?"

"You mean after I left here at midnight?" Summer questioned mockingly. Seth merely nodded, still grinning. "Well, I slept. And then I woke up. And then I read a bit in that summer reading book we have to do within the next month for World Literature. And now here I am."

Seth then wandered over to his dresser, searching through one of the drawers. "And as happy as I am that you're here, what are you doing here this early? I told you I have to go do that museum assignment downtown."

"I know," Summer walked further into his bedroom, taking a place on his bed. "I thought maybe I'd come with you."

Seth turned around. "Come with me to the museum?" Summer nodded. "What for?"

"I don't know. I just thought it would be interesting."

Seth laughed, and then glanced at her sneakingly. "Okay… what do you want?"

"What?" Summer asked.

"What's the catch?"

"What catch?"

"You want me to take you shopping afterwards, don't you?" Seth pointed at her.

Summer crossed her arms over her chest. "No, actually I don't."

"You want me to take you out to lunch after?" Summer shook her head. "The movies?" Still another shake. "The beach?" Summer's head firmly shook side to side. "Then what do you want?"

"Nothing," Summer replied, growing aggravated that Seth would think she wanted something for in return for going with him. "I just thought it'd be something to do."

"Well, as much as _I'd_ enjoy your company I really don't think _you'd_ enjoy spending the next few hours in an art museum," Seth turned back towards his dresser, grabbing socks.

"How do you know?"

Seth swung around at her question and raised an eyebrow at her, walking over to the bed to sit beside her and put on his socks. "Weren't you the one complaining last year about spending the day at one of the museums in LA? Didn't you say that quote-'Museums make me tired'-unquote?"

"Well, yeah… but…" Summer trailed. She had said that.

Seth leaned over, kissing her forehead softly. "I appreciate the gesture but I know you don't want to go to this. How about I'll just call you later when I get back? We can go get dinner or rent a movie or hang out in the hot tub… or ohhh!" Seth clapped his hands excitedly, rubbing them together. "All three!"

Summer grinned, letting him win. "All right. Just call me later." She made a motion to get up, but Seth pulled her back down on the bed as he stood up himself.

"No, just stay here for awhile. I feel bad that you just drove over here and now I have to leave. I don't want you to just have to drive back."

"My house is, like, five minutes away, Cohen," Summer laughed.

"Yeah, but my house is right here," Seth stated. "And my bed is just calling your name. 'Summerrrrr…' 'Summmmmmmerrrrrr…'" Seth mimicked as he walked towards his door. He laughed at his antics as Summer did the same. "Just stay here. Take a nap."

"It's kind of weird hanging out in your room if you're not here," Summer told him, still sitting on the bed while he had his hands on the doorknob.

"You know," Seth opened the door, still talking to Summer, "I'm always thinking the same thing about you." Summer opened her mouth to reply but couldn't seem to find the right words. "I'll call you later, Sum. Bye."

And upon those words, Seth left Summer alone in his room, again to her thoughts.

Seth was right. She really didn't want to go to a museum. She hated them. They made her all sorts of tired – no matter how much sleep or caffeine she had. But she really wanted to spend time with Seth. Even though she saw him everyday – and had just seen him less than ten hours before – she just wanted to be with him. He made her boring summer days more bearable – actually, just enjoyable in general – and she always dreaded the times she had to leave him, or the times he'd have to leave her, due to curfews. She even found herself dreading the times when Marissa would mention that the four of them – she, Marissa, Seth, and Ryan – should hang out, because all she really wanted to do was hang out with Seth. Especially since both Marissa and Ryan had been such downers lately. Not that it was their fault or anything – okay, maybe technically it was Marissa's fault. Trey was in a coma so that's all either of them could think and talk about. Summer just didn't want to be surrounded by all that drama. She was sick of it. She just wanted to have a good summer, mainly since last summer she spent the entire time wishing Seth was there. And now that Seth was here with her, she just wanted to take advantage of that and be with him every hour of every day before their senior year of high school began.

Sometimes she thought it was sad that she wanted to spend all her time with Seth. She also wondered if it was a problem that her only real friend these days was Seth.

But then she'd realized that she loved hanging out with him. She loved being with him. So why shouldn't she do what she loved?

Summer fell back onto his bed at these thoughts, groaning. "There's that whole love thing again."

What she had told her dad earlier was true. She was too young to be in love. She was only sixteen – okay, seventeen in eight days. But still – seventeen year olds don't know what love is. They can't. Like, okay, Seth may _think_ he's in love with her but how can he ever really know? And he tells her that he loves her every now and again – he told her more so when they had first gotten back together in March, and then again in May, but since then it's been less and less. Not that she has a problem with that, she told herself, she just took notice of it, that's all.

Right?

Because Seth couldn't really be in love with her. And she couldn't really be in love with Seth. No matter what her father said.

Right??

Marissa told Ryan she loved him after dating him for three months. How did she know she loved him? How did she know it wasn't just some teenage hormone thing?

But then again – if Marissa and Ryan were in love – certainly she and Seth should be. Because, technically, she and Seth had been a couple just as long as Marissa and Ryan had, if not longer. But time doesn't dictate when you should be in love with someone.

So what does?

Summer glanced around Seth's room, observing her surroundings just as her father had done earlier with her room. There were pictures of her scattered up on his bulletin board – both real and drawings – and even the Little Miss Vixen cardboard cut-out standing next to his desk. On his night table, Captain Oats stood with a piece of paper taped to his side stating, "Property of Princess Sparkles" – something Summer had jokingly written and taped onto the plastic horse nearly two months before. On Seth's calendar, there were numbers at the top of each day, indicating how many days she and Seth had been dating – including the few weeks she and Seth had not really been dating, because she was trying to make Seth jealous by dating Zach again right before prom. (Seth told her that that break-up didn't really count.)

Summer felt her heart swell at all of these random mementos placed around his room and decided she needed to leave. She needed to stop over-thinking this whole 'love' thing.

So she stood up and wandered over to his desk, looking in the drawer for a piece of a paper and a pen to write Seth a little note – just in case he came home instead of calling her first.

As she searched for it, she saw a tiny jewelry box tucked not-so-deep into his drawer. Summer debated whether to open it or leave it be – knowing her birthday was only a week away so it had to be hers and knowing she'd get it soon enough – but she couldn't resist. She set the piece of paper and pen onto the desk and grabbed a hold of the jewelry box, eyeing it carefully.

After a few moments of last minute debating, she opened the box. Inside was a silver bracelet with tiny diamonds placed all around the plate, with a silver chain connecting each side to the clasp. She gasped in amazement – it had been the exact one she had been looking at in her Tiffany's magazine months earlier, weeks before she and Seth had even gotten back together. How could he have known?

She turned it around, looking for the clasp and found an engraftment on the back of the plate. She held it up to the light, giving her a better view.

_I love you with all my heart. Happy 17__th__ birthday, Sum. Forever yours, Cohen_

Summer dropped the bracelet immediately and gushed into tears. She held her hands up to her face, trying to shield off the tears that were drenching her cheeks.

He really loved her.

And in that instant, she realized.

She really, _really_ loved him.

Summer, still crying, grabbed the piece of paper and pen, scribbling in messy handwriting onto it.

_Seth, I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I'm sorry it took so long for me to say it. Always yours, Summer_

Summer stood up, grabbed her purse and left before she had a chance to rip up the piece of paper.

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Later that afternoon, Summer lay in her bed after a grueling workout with her punching bag. Her music was on full blast as she lay there, contemplating her actions of earlier, wondering what her boyfriend's reaction would be.

Would he be happy? Well, of course he would be happy but would he be happy about the way she did it? Or would he be upset? Would he have wanted her to tell it to his face first – not on some random piece of paper?

Suddenly, her thoughts were silenced as a knock on the door was barely heard through the loud music and, without waiting for a reply, Seth appeared.

"So," Seth entered her room, holding the piece of paper in one hand and pointing to it with the other. Summer, meanwhile, scrambled to reach for her stereo's remote, quickly turning the music down so she could hear her boyfriend's voice. "I knew you'd find the bracelet – that is why I asked you to stay in my room after all – but I was definitely not expecting this." Seth held up the piece of paper with Summer's handwriting on it, still standing near the door.

"I wrote that," Summer finally spoke.

Seth smiled, rolling his eyes the tiniest bit. "I kind of gathered that, Sum." He walked a little closer, now resolving back into his apprehensive state. "Did you mean it? Or was it just a reaction to the bracelet?"

"What?" Summer sat on her bed, dumbfounded. "You think I just wrote that to make you feel better or something?"

Seth walked over to Summer's bed, sitting down next to her. "Hey, hey… I didn't mean it like that. I'm just… surprised. Really, really, _really_ surprised."

"I meant it, Seth," Summer eyed her boyfriend. "I love you."

Seth broke eye contact, looking away, whispering. "I can't believe we're having this conversation right now."

Tears formed in Summer's eyes – she knew what was happening between them at present was a turning point in their relationship – and she grabbed a hold of Seth's hands, forcing him to look at her once again. "I love you so much, Cohen. I think I have for awhile now I've just been too scared to admit it."

Seth couldn't form words, only shapes with his mouth, as his own eyes got glossy.

"It's kind of funny actually," Summer tried to lighten the mood a little, "my dad is the one who kind of made me realize that I was in love with you."

This time Seth reacted. "Your dad?"

"Yeah, this morning. He told me that he knew I loved you. He said he could see it through everything I put up in my room – that they're all reminders of you. And that I was always spending time with you. And then I kind of realized it when I was willing to go to a boring museum just to spend time with you… too bad you wouldn't let me go," Summer joked.

"You really wanted to go?" Seth's eyes grew wide. "I thought for sure you just wanted me to take you shopping afterwards as payback!"

"Nope," Summer shook her head. "Although, that would have been a good idea, now that I think of it. I should use that next time as leverage."

"Okay…" Seth brought the mood back to its original serious state, "so where did this paper come from?"

"Well, I was sitting in your room thinking about it – about us – and then I started examining your walls like my dad looked at mine and yours reflected me just as mine reflected you. And then I started, like, freaking out, and was just gonna write you a note telling you that I left and to just call me later but then I found that bracelet…"

"Which you left on my desk, by the way," Seth dug in his pocket. "But after I found this paper I thought you might want me to bring it by." Seth handed her the bracelet.

"How did you know I wanted this, Seth?"

"You showed me a picture of it once," Seth replied, casually.

"No, I didn't."

"Yeah, you did."

Summer shook her head firmly. "No, I know I didn't. Because I saw this bracelet in the Tiffany's winter catalog. And I ripped it out and put it in my book of things I want."

"You have a book of things you want?" Seth asked, surprised.

"See! That's how I _know _I did not show it to you. You have no idea that book exists," Summer pointed her finger at him accusingly.

Seth threw his arms up in the air. "How come you don't ever show me that book? It would give me ideas of what you really want for your birthdays and Chrismukkah instead of making me guess! Summer, that's just cruel!"

"But then it wouldn't be a surprise. And it wouldn't be something you picked out. So it wouldn't mean as much to me," Summer explained.

"Then why have a book?!"

Summer sat cross-legged on her bed. "It's not a materialistic book. I mean, yeah, that bracelet is materialistic, but there are only a few things in there like that. Most of them are pictures of things I want in life – a family, a nice home to live in when I'm older, gatherings with friends, a career, a wedding…"

"You have things about weddings in there?" Seth sat back on the bed.

Summer nodded. "But not the material things – like the dress or ring or stuff like that – just pictures of different receptions, with people dancing and stuff. The memories that make a wedding. That's what the pictures are of."

"Wow."

Summer sat silent for a moment, as Seth did the same. Still, the question lingered and Summer posed it again. "So… Cohen… how did you know I wanted that bracelet?"

"You promise you won't get freaked out or run away or anything?"

Summer eyed him, smiling slightly. "Of course not, Cohen."

"Okay," he sighed. "But I'm only telling you because you told me about your secret book."

Summer laughed. "Naturally."

Seth took a deep breath. "I'm kind of a stalker."

Summer burst out laughing, then upon seeing Seth's worried face, tried to regain her composure. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that… well, Seth, you've kind of always been a stalker."

"Yeah, but I took it to a whole new level this past winter."

"All right…"

"See, I saw you with that catalog – at school. You were reading it in the school lounge. And I was kind of pretending to be reading a book while I leaned against one of the pillars and watched you rip that page out. So then, after you left for class, I kind of went into your locker…"

"You what?!"

"You said you wouldn't freak out!"

"Cohen," Summer gasped, "that's creepy!"

"Summer!"

Summer shut her mouth, waving her hand in the air, indicating for him to continue.

"I told you I was a stalker. And besides, it's not my fault you didn't change your locker combination from last year."

"You knew my locker combination last year?" Summer asked, shocked.

"You didn't know that?" Seth questioned, honestly.

"Just tell me the rest of your story before I decide to dump your stalker ass," Summer laughed, still finding Seth's story a little creepy but so adorable and Seth-like at the same time.

"Okay, so, I looked in your locker and found the ripped page sticking out from one of your notebooks. And I memorized the product number and that afternoon, when I got home, I ordered it."

"With the engraving and everything? For my birthday? That was more than a half a year away?" Summer asked as Seth nodded in response to all of her questions. "How did you know we'd even be speaking in nine months?"

"Because I knew. I was determined to get you back. I knew you weren't gonna stay with Zach that long. And even if you did, I would have given it to you anyway and you would have come back to me."

Summer placed a hand on Seth's knee, looking on at him sardonically. "Your confidence sure has surged in the past year, huh?"

Seth tilted his head to the side, smiling cockily. "It won you over, didn't it?"

"Well, your creepy stalker status sure didn't."

"Oh!" Seth pushed Summer onto the bed, covering his body over hers. "You sure about that?"

Summer giggled under his weight. "Pretty positive. If I had known you were such a stalker, I don't know if I would have gotten back together with you."

"Please," Seth scoffed. "You can't resist me."

Summer pushed him off of her body, attempting to sit up. "Oh, I think I can…"

Seth attacked her again, this time capturing her lips with his. He enjoyed their mini make-out for a few minutes before pulling away, staring into her brown eyes. "You know you love me."

Summer smirked, noting his choice of words. "I love you, Cohen. I love you. I love you. I love you."

"You too, Roberts," Seth replied nonchalantly, trying not to let his grin spread too wide across his face. "I love you, too."

Just as Seth was about to lean down again, Summer put her finger up to his lips, stopping him. "Oh, by the way, we're having dinner with my dad tomorrow night."

Seth jolted up. "What?!"

"He wants to get to know you more," Summer followed his lead, sitting up. "He said he knows his first impression of you was wrong and wants to fix it."

"Summer," Seth groaned, leaning his head into his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Seth," Summer whined back, pushing his head off of her body. "It's gonna be good this time. I promise."

"Promise you won't break up with me when I inevitably make a huge dork out of myself when trying to find conversation topics to please your father?"

Summer reached on her bed for the piece of paper that held her messy writing, picking it up, folding it, and putting it in Seth's jacket pocket. "What's written on here is true. Keep it around tomorrow to remind yourself that I'm not going anywhere – no matter how big of a dork you make out of yourself tomorrow or any other day for that matter."

Seth leaned in, kissing her lips. Summer felt the gravitational pull back down towards the bed, bringing Seth back down with her.

Summer loved him. Loved, loved, _loved_ him. She wanted to spend every waking hour with him and every sleeping minute lying in his arms. She wanted to be there when he woke up and be there when he fell asleep. She wanted to be there for everything and anything and… oh _God_ did he know how to kiss.

"Summer," a voice that belonged neither to Seth nor Summer entered the room, "oh, oh… umm… I didn't…"

"Dad!" Summer shrieked, pushing Seth off of her hastily and sitting up, trying to fix her appearance. "What are you doing in here?!"

"I just…" Dr. Roberts couldn't make eye contact with his daughter. Or her boyfriend. He kept looking everywhere else in the room except at them. "I didn't see Seth's car here."

"Hello, Dr. Roberts," Seth greeted, waving apprehensively. "I was just leaving actually."

As Seth stood up to go, Summer tugged at his arm, murmuring softly. "Don't go."

By this time, Dr. Roberts had gathered himself and had seen Summer's reaction to Seth's move to leave. And while he didn't exactly like what he had just walked in on, he didn't like to see his daughter looking so disappointed either. "You don't have to leave, Seth," Dr. Roberts spoke to his daughter's boyfriend. "Just, if you don't mind, I'd feel better as a parent if you two would spend time downstairs rather than up here."

"Dad…" Summer rolled her eyes.

"No, really, I do have to go," Seth told Dr. Roberts, then looking over to Summer. "I'm going with my dad and Ryan to visit my mom."

Summer sighed, looking back at Seth solemnly. "Oh, okay… Call me later?"

Seth nodded as he glanced back over at Dr. Roberts hesitantly, who was still standing in the doorway watching their exchange, and leaned over to Summer, leaving a kiss on her forehead. "I love you." He then stood up, talking louder this time. "I'll talk to you later." Seth turned in the direction of Dr. Roberts, walking towards him and the door, waving nervously, "See you at dinner tomorrow night, Dr. Roberts."

Dr. Roberts seemed a little surprised at first, but recovered easily. "Yes, see you tomorrow, Seth."

As Seth disappeared, both Dr. Roberts and Summer made their way toward each other. Summer enveloped her father in a tight hug. As she pulled away, Dr. Roberts looked down at his daughter with curiosity. "What was that for?"

"I don't know," Summer shrugged. "A type of thank you, I guess."

Dr. Roberts let Summer's statement hang in the air, responding a few moments later. "You told him, didn't you?"

Summer let the smile stretch across her face as she made a motion towards her bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower."

Dr. Roberts knew – without Summer saying it – that she in fact had told Seth exactly what he had informed her of this morning. And while he was still a little uncomfortable knowing that there was another man so very prominent in his daughter's life, he couldn't help but feel at least secure in knowing that he was a decent man, one that treated her – and him – with respect and adoration.

"I love you, Summer," Dr. Roberts replied as Summer entered the bathroom.

Summer's face beamed at his sentiment, knowing the double meaning behind it. "I love you too, dad."

And as she shut the door, enclosing herself in the small confines of her bathroom, she couldn't help but feel all the stress and anxiety she had concerning those three small words fade away in an instant.

She loved her father. She was in love with her boyfriend.

And they both loved her back.


End file.
